Machine for sowing grass-seed



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. H. PRESTON. MACHINE POR SOWING GRASSSEED.

Patented Aug. 6,'18'95.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. PRESTON. MACHINE FOR SOWING GRASS SEED.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

V"Uivrriin STATES lPATEnrr f GEORGE H. PRESTON, OF SHORTSVILLE, NEWYORK.

MACHINE FOR SOWING GRASS-SEED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patient No. 544,005, dated August6, 1895.

Application ned November 29,1892. serial 1510.453545. (No man.)

York, have invented certain new and useful i Improvements in Machinesfor Sewing Grass- Seed and other Seeds of Similar Size, of which thefollowing isa specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines commonly calledwheelbarrow-seeders and which are propelled like a common Wheelbarrow.

My improvements consist in various parts of the construction wherebygreater accuracy of distribution and al perfect adjustment of quantitymay be attained, which will be hereinafter shown and explained.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side View of the improvedseeder. Fig. 2 is a top or plan View. Fig. 3 is a View of the forwardside of the seed-hopper. Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the hopper andthe spiral seeddischarging slide therein. Fig. 5 is a sectionaltransverse View of the hopper seed-delivery and the connection of thevibrating mechanism. Fig.'6 is 'a perspective of the upper side of theaxle-plates. Fig. 7 is a perspective of thelower side of theaxle-plates. Fig. 8 is a sectional end view of the index-plate,vibrating lever, and pointer, connected by bolt at the point where thebolt is seen in Fig. l. Fig. 9 is a view of the bottom of the vibratinglever.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the annexed drawings, the construction of this machine willbe explained as follows:

rIhe side bars ct o', and the two boards b and O bolted theretoconstitute the frame G of the machine. are suitably formed as handlesfor the operator and are a convenient distance apart, while theyconverge toward the forward ends, being only about six inches apart atthat point.

The forward end of the frame G is carried by a wheel D, having a doublecam d formed upon its hub, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Upon the under side ofthe side bars, at their forward ends, are platesof iron e e, which are shown in Figs. 6 and 7, each having a mortise g,one for the head and the other for the nut of the bolt-axle f and eachhaving a seath for The rear ends of the side bars a a the round body ofthe bolt-axle f and also seats i fi transversely upon the two edges ofthe irons e e.

The mortises g g prevent the boltfand its nut from turning, and therebythe plates e e (which form the bearings against which theV ends of thewheel-hub turn) are held at any distance apart at which they may beadjusted to correspond with the length of the hub of the wheel D, sothat the Wheel may turn freely,

ward into the side bar sufciently to hold it' from turning out of itsproper position.

' The frame G of the machine is supported at its rear end when not inoperation by a suitable leg Zo, bolted to each side bar with iron bracesextending from the legs to the board b.

The board b is bolted across the top of the side bars ct o, with anarrow strip of wood M on the top and front edge of the same, the twoforward bolts binding the strip M and board b firmly to the frame G, theedges of the board and strip being beveled to correspond with the formof the hopper B.

The board C is bolted to the lower side of the side bars c o., having aclearance for the wheel D in its frontedge.v

An index-plate m (shown in Fig. 2) has one end bolted to the board C andits opposite end to the right side bar of the frame, near its forwardend. This index-plate has a slot o extending nearly its whole length. Italso has the figures from l to l0, inclusive, placed at equal distancesapart the Whole length of the slot. Again, the distances between thefigures are each divided by points into four equal parts for convenienceand accuracy in adjusting the machine to sow the desired quantity ofseed.

A vibrating lever p rests upon the index- IOO plate m and is securedthereto by means of a pointer q and bolt with thumb-nut o", the boltpassing through the slot o, and also through the pointer,securingthepointer rigidly to the index-plate when the thumb-nut isturned down. The pointer q has a projection upon its lower sideextendinglengthwise et the slot o, and fitting into the same for thepurpose of holding the pointer in position and at right angles to theslot.

Fig. 9 represents the vibrating lever p bottom side up, showing theroller at one end, which when in operation forms a frictionrollerbetween the two sides of the cam d, and by means of which the vibratinglever p is caused to swing laterally.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 8, the pointerq will be seen to clasp thevibrating lever p, but with sufficient looseness to allow the swingingmotion caused by the rotation of the cam d, the pointer thus forming thefulcrum or center of motion ot' the lever 19. The rear end of thevibrating lever p is connected with the discharging-slide w by means ofthe hook o and connecting-slide w, as shown in Figs. l and 3.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that moving the pointer q forwardor backward will proportionately lengthen or shorten the stroke of therear end of the lever p, and it being a fact that the longer the strokethe more seed will be sown by a given number of strokes, therefore thequantity of seed represented by any figure or point upon the indexplatem may be discharged by setting the pointer at thc said gure or point;and there is no quantity between the two' extremes that cannot be sown.This is a great improvement over other machines which are changed bychanging a bolt from one hole of a series to another, and which are notcapable of sowing the intermediate quantities.

It will be understood that the pointer will not prevent a longitudinalmovement of the vibrating lever p, and for that reason a shorttransverse slot s is made in the index-plate m (shown in Figs. 2 and 8)and a corresponding projection upon the lower side of the lever p, Fig.9, the projection being shorter than the length of the slot, so as toadmit of the swinging motion of the vibrating lever, and at the sametime prevent a longitudinal movement.

The seeding device consists of a V-shaped hopper B, usually aboutfourteen or sixteen feet long, mounted across the frame G in front ofthe board I), and attached to it by means of two bolts with thumb-nutsH, one of which is seen in Figs] and 5, and both in Fig. 2.

The hopper B has au inside bottom c of thin metal, with holes atsuitable intervals for the passage of the seed into a groove F, Figs. tand 5, formed in a strip of wood 1/ beneath, which contains thedischarging-slide a1. This grooved strip y is secured to the bottom ofthe hopper, thus protecting the metal bottom c, which hasdischarge-holes through the bottom, alternating with the holes in themetal bottom c above. The discharging slide 5r is made of a dat steel(or other metal) bar, preferably about one-fourth of an inch wide, wrungor twisted, by means of which it conforms to the shape of a commonboring bit or auger having a little more than ten twists or revolutionsto one foot in length. I find by experience that too much importancecannot be attached to the proper construction of this groove F anddischarging-slide fr.

Round wires twisted together are used in some machines, ropes in others,and corrugated fiat iron in others, but all are alike simple agitators,and upon rough ground will invariably sow more than upon smooth ground;but with my spiral-shaped fiat-steel slide (the edges being square) theseed is controlled perfectly, so that the condition of the ground makesno difference in the quantity.

At or near the mid-length of the hopper B and in its forward side a slotE, Fig. 5, is cut, partly in the grooved strip y and partly in the sideboard of the hopper, extending upward on an incline forward, the forwardside or edge of the slot reaching the surface of the hopper at the uppercorner of the grooved strip y.

The discharging-slide is in two parts of equal length, having theirinner ends, without twist, bent edgewise at right angles to thelongtudinal line of the hopper and projecting through the slot E, sothat their flat sides coincide.

An iron slide w is made to receive the two ends of thedischarging-slide, thus projecting through the slot E, which is looselysecured to the side of the hopper by means of a screw in each of twoslots z z through the slide w, the screws thus forming ways upon whichthe slide vibrates, carrying the dischargingslide with it.

A hook i) is pivoted to this iron slide w, by which it is connected tothe vibrating lever p, and by means of which the machine may be throwninto or out of gear at the will of the operator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a wheelbarrowseeder the combination with the two side bars, of an axle, a head on oneend of the axle, a nut on the opposite end, a wheel on the axle, twoplates applied to the side bars and formed with grooves to receive theaxle and with mortises to receive the head and nut, and fasteningdevices for holding the plates lirmly in place on the side bars.

2. In a seeding machine the combination with a seed hopper, provided inits bottom with a longitudinally extending groove of a flat spirallytwisted discharge slide `iitting snugly in said groove and exposed atintervals throughout its length to the overlying seed in the hopper, andmeans for reciprocating said slide bodily within the hopper to dischargethe seed.

IOO

y3. In aseeding machine the combination tions between the plate and theseed dis- With the hopper of the reeiprocatingseed discharging deviceand means for reciprocating ro charging device located therein, ahorizonthe plate. tally slotted plate applied to the outside of 5 thehopper, screws or equivalent fastening GEORGE H PRESTON devicesextending through the slots in the Witnesses: plate and serving to holdthe same in place E. D. MATHER, and permit its movement, suitableconnec- C. HAAS,

